THIEVES who stole statues from Jeffrey Archer's home showed impeccable taste by leaving behind one of the disgraced Tory.

The gang carried off life-size bronzes of a naked shepherd with four sheep and a nude girl doing a handstand worth thousands of pounds.

But they ignored a stone caricature of Archer, 66, who was jailed for four years in 2001 for perverting justice.

A police source said: "This either points to the fact the thieves had good artistic judgment or that they couldn't melt that one down and it was no use to them."

Lady Archer, who was at home in Grantchester, Cambs, at the time of the theft, said yesterday: "We captured it on CCTV.

"They helped themselves to tools out of our shed, then took two hours to uproot the statues and drive away."

Lady Archer, 62, added: "It was frightening. I feel angry and sad because they were distinguished works of art. If they are sold as scrap metal and destroyed it would be an absolute crime and act of vandalism."

The shepherd statue caused a stir when it was first unveiled to Lady Archer who shrieked: "The penis is too big!"

Sculptor Chris Marvell was forced to replace it with a smaller version.

The millionaire couple are offering an undisclosed reward for the sculptures' safe return.

Police said of Tuesday's theft: "We suspect the metal is being re-used in China and the Far East."